26 Iconic Couples We Admired in the ’90s

5 years ago

According to a study, we have a social tendency to care deeply about the status of people who we feel have a higher status than us. This is something that happens when we think about celebrities, for example. Especially when it comes to their relationships. During the ’90s we started to have a lot of access to celebrities’ lives through TV and photographs. We started to feel that celebrities were closer to us and consequently started to admire them and their relationships.

Bright Side has collected photos of 26 couples who were just total couple goals during the ’90s.

1. Kate Moss and Johnny Depp

Kate and Johnny dated for 4 years. Reports say that their breakup was due to Johnny having constant mood swings.

2. Brad Pitt and Gwyneth Paltrow

After 2 years of dating, Brad proposed to Gwyneth, but 6 months later they broke up. However, during the time they were dating, they were crazy about each other, they even had matching haircuts, at some point.

3. Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears

The couple started dating around 1998, when they both started touring together. Their breakup in 2002 resulted in Timberlake writing his popular song Cry Me a River. That song is about Britney Spears.

4. Luke Wilson and Drew Barrymore

Drew and Luke started dating after filming Home Fries in 1997. They dated for 2 years but then broke up just before filming Charlie’s Angels. They were both actors in the movie Charlie’s Angels but thankfully not love interests.

5. Paul Thomas Anderson and Fiona Apple

They were once called the “coolest, dorkiest, sexiest, and most indelible celebrity power couple of the ’90s.” The 2 broke up in 2000, but worked together again a decade later.

6. Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee

The 2 stayed officially married for 3 years and had 2 sons before they got divorced. Even though they were one of the most popular couples of L.A., their marriage was full of scandals and “breakups.”

7. Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown

Whitney Houston turned down Bobby’s first proposal because it was not in her plans to get married at that time. However, in 1992, the 2 tied the knot. Their marriage lasted for 14 years.

8. Bruce Willis and Demi Moore

They dated the whole ’90s decade and had 3 kids before getting divorced in 2000. The 2 stayed very close friends and Bruce even attended Demi’s wedding to Ashton Kutcher in 2005.

9. Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise

According to Nicole Kidman, being married to Tom in the ’90s gave her protection from one of Hollywood’s biggest scandals, as well as protection from sexual abuse.

10. Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love

Their relationship was full of controversy related to the use of illegal substances, even while Love was pregnant. Their romance ended when, in 1994, Kurt decided to end his life and is still remembered as one of the most important romances in the grunge scene.

11. Winona Ryder and Matt Damon

According to a 2009 interview, Winona and Matt seem to be on good terms now. During the interview Winona said “Matt couldn’t be a greater, nicer guy. I’m really lucky that I’m on good terms with him.”

12. Cameron Diaz and Matt Dillon

This relationship had a huge impact in Matt’s life. In his words. “It’s a very powerful thing when you feel that way about somebody. Cameron was a muse for me. I hadn’t been in any deep emotional relationships.”

13. Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke

During an interview the same year as their divorce, Uma told Oprah that her separation from Ethan was very hard for the whole family.

14. Hugh Grant and Elizabeth Hurley

After 13 years of a relationship that started in 1987, they split in 2000. After that, the 2 stayed absolute best friends and commonly talk about each other during interviews. They are also still present in each other’s lives.

15. Brooke Shields and Andre Agassi

In a 2016 memoir, Brooke Shields revealed that Andre had a drug addiction. She also mentioned that he destroyed his tennis trophies when he saw her in a flirtatious guest scene on the TV series Friends. However, she also said that “the whole relationship with him was so necessary.”

16. Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger

During their relationship, Kim convinced Alec to become vegetarian. He still doesn’t eat meat today.

17. Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe

After welcoming 2 kids into the world in 1999 and 2003, the couple separated in 2006. They both blame the divorce on them being too young when they got married.

18. Joaquin Phoenix and Liv Tyler

They split in 1998 but remained really good friends. According to a 2015 interview for Elle, Liv still considers Joaquin like family.

19. Whoopi Goldberg and Ted Danson

Their romance unfolded in 1992 when they were starring in the movie Made in America. Resulting in the $30 million divorce of Ted and Casey Coates. They split 2 years afterward.

20. Marilyn Manson and Rose McGowan

Things between them changed after the 1999 Columbine massacre. It was the first mass-shooting at an American high school. During the mass-shooting the killers wrote about disliking Marilyn Manson. The news outlets linked Marilyn to the shooting, blaming it on his musical influence. The couple started receiving death threats and eventually broke up in 2001.

21. Courteney Cox and Michael Keaton

After their split, Courteney told People magazine: "It’s the most important relationship I’ve ever had, and I think he’s the most wonderful person I’ve ever met“...“We still love each other.”

22. Sofia Coppola and Spike Jonze

Following their split in 2003, many people believed that one character from Sofia’s iconic film Lost in Translation was inspired by Spike Jonze. People also believe that there’s is a connection between that Coppola film and the film Her written and directed by Spike Jonze.